Holiday thieves, beware. A new crime prevention program recently rolled out by the Corpus Christi Police Department has you in its sights. The department’s new SkyWatch tower is just one tool being used to reduce auto burglary and theft over the holidays.
Police surveillance will soon have a bird’s-eye view of large events in Corpus Christi thanks to a $50,000 donation from Valero. The money was donated to the Corpus Christi Police Department to purchase a FLIR Systems SkyWatch Tower, a mobile tower with cameras linked to a police command center. The money was donated by ceremonial giant check Monday, April 24.
The police department rented an older model SkyWatch tower for Buc Days last year. The 25-foot vantage point over large crowds provides added security, Police Chief Mike Markle said.
“The business community has stepped up to the plate to help us increase our eyes and ears on the ground,” Markle said. “This is state-of-the-art-technology and something most major cities have.”
The tower will be used for Buc Days, Fiesta de la Flor, Fourth of July and possibly even Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.
